Teacher: Miss. Olsen Office Location: Stars Hollow High School, Room 112 Office Hours: 1-3 Monday, Wednesday and Friday E-mail: molly.f.olsen@maine.edu
Summary of Unit
Students will write theatrical pieces using correct playwriting format, and free of grammatical or spelling errors. The works will feature a lead character very different from the student themselves, so that they can begin to better understand and empathize with those who are different from them. The pieces will also involve experiences and events which the students have not seen or been through themselves, which will cause them to use their imagination and problem-solve how to discuss something they have never experienced first-hand. The script is what the students will use to base their video on, which will become the main product of the unit. The video will be edited using iMovie and feature the student and others portraying the script.
Establish Goals
Common Core State Standards
Content Area: English
Grade Level: Grade 8
Domain: Writing
Cluster: Text Types and Purposes
Standard: 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Students will understand that
• writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events through playwriting will help them learn to empathize
with, and better understand others.
• playwriting will allow them to write in a way which includes
relevant, descriptive details, which will cause students to
evaluate more thoroughly what is truly important to a story.
• writing well-structured event sequences will familiarize them
with the idea of working from the big picture toward more
detailed descriptions.
Essential Questions
• Why is it good for a person to imagine experiences or events?
• How does a story change in script format in comparison to other writing formats?
• Why are narratives important?
Students will know
• Sequence and Timeline:
- 2 acts with multiple scenes.
•Terminology:
- narrator, scene, act, climax,
exposition, blackout, rising
action, etc.
•Formulas:
- Plot diagram: Exposition,
rising action,climax, falling
action, resolution.
- Boy gets girl, boy loses girl,
boy gets girl back.
- Act 1 followed by a shorter
Act 2
Students will be able to
• Model well-structured event
sequences.
• Evaluate which parts of a story
are most important.
• Build from an overarching idea
toward smaller story details.
• Infer descriptive details from the
bigger parts of a story.
• Imagine experiences or events
through a narrative lens.
• Be aware of others lives in
comparison to their own.
Performance Task Overview
- A wealthy theatrical director has decided that he wants to produce a young playwrights work to present in front of President Obama as a reason to why the arts should be kept in schools. Many argue that theater has no place in schools, but the director believes that theater has many qualities which not only make better students, but better people. He asks students to create a storyline, map it out, and then write it in a theatrical script format free of spelling and grammatical errors. The main character of the story must be very different from the student themselves so that they learn to understand and empathize with people different from themselves. They will film and edit a video version of the script (the wealthy director is very busy and has no time to see you in person unless what you have is GOOD!) and also submit the written play.
Expectations
Absences: An absence here and there is expected, as life is unpredictable and sometimes extenuating circumstances (illness, family emergency, etc.) mean you cannot come to school. If you miss a day of school, the homework that was due on the day you missed will be turned in the day you return. The homework that was assigned the day you were not here must be turned-in within a week of the absence. On the day you return please talk to me before or after class and I will give you whatever worksheets you may need and will go over the information you need to complete the work. Be aware that you may need to stay after once or twice in the days following your absence if the work calls for it. If you missed a quiz or test you will take it the day you return. If this is impossible for any reason, you will take it the following class day.
Plagiarism: Being able to cite sources properly is an incredibly important skill that not only will be used for your entire school career, but also allows people who have worked hard on something to get credit where credit is due. If a student's piece of writing is found to be lifted from another work in part or whole, they will be required to discuss the issue with me, and we will decide from there what will happen next. If it is simply an error in citation, we will fix it immediately, but if it appears the plagiarism was intentional, disciplinary action will be taken.
Assignments: Assignments will be completed and turned in at the assigned time, unless you have discussed it with me, and I have allowed you extra time. Extra time will be allowed if you couldn't complete homework due to medical, family, or certain personal issues, which didn't allow you to finish the homework or project. This extra time will only be given if you have discussed this with me either beforehand or after the fact.
Classroom Expectations: Students will be expected to come to class prepared with finished homework, the necessary supplies, and ready to learn. Respect must be given at all times, and if it seems that the environment of the classroom has become negative we will work together to fix this through discussion, and whatever else necessary to ensure that my class is a positive environment for all students.
Benchmarks
• Tiki-Toki: Create a tiki-toki to explain well-structured sequences within your story.
• Garageband: Interpret which parts of a story are most important by using Garageband to write songs that could be playing during the four most important moments of the show.
• Google Doc: Practice performing different examples of narratives by using Google Docs to write a story through multiple narratives.
• Comic Life: See from the points of view of people who have lived through imagined events of experiences by using "Comic Life" to write the first three scenes in comic form.
• Blog: Learn to empathize with others lives in comparison their you own by writing a blog entry as if it were a diary belonging to the lead character.
• UneditedYoutube Video: Reflect on descriptive details by posting a video on youtube for other students to watch, where you explain the story starting from the largest aspects of it, and then explaining the smaller details. Use some editing to convey a largeness when you talk about the larger aspects, and oppositely for the smaller details.
Grading Scale
A (93 -100), A- (90 - 92), B+ (87 - 89), B (83 - 86), B- (80 - 82), C+(77 - 79), C (73-76), C- (70 - 72), D+(67 - 69), D (63 - 66), D- (60 - 62), F (0 - 59).
Office Location: Stars Hollow High School, Room 112
Office Hours: 1-3 Monday, Wednesday and Friday
E-mail: molly.f.olsen@maine.edu
Summary of Unit
Students will write theatrical pieces using correct playwriting format, and free of grammatical or spelling errors. The works will feature a lead character very different from the student themselves, so that they can begin to better understand and empathize with those who are different from them. The pieces will also involve experiences and events which the students have not seen or been through themselves, which will cause them to use their imagination and problem-solve how to discuss something they have never experienced first-hand. The script is what the students will use to base their video on, which will become the main product of the unit. The video will be edited using iMovie and feature the student and others portraying the script.Establish Goals
Common Core State Standards- Content Area: English
- Grade Level: Grade 8
- Domain: Writing
- Cluster: Text Types and Purposes
- Standard: 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevantdescriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
Students will understand that
• writing narratives to develop real or imagined experiences orevents through playwriting will help them learn to empathize
with, and better understand others.
• playwriting will allow them to write in a way which includes
relevant, descriptive details, which will cause students to
evaluate more thoroughly what is truly important to a story.
• writing well-structured event sequences will familiarize them
with the idea of working from the big picture toward more
detailed descriptions.
Essential Questions
• Why is it good for a person to imagine experiences or events?• How does a story change in script format in comparison to other writing formats?
• Why are narratives important?
Students will know
• Sequence and Timeline:- 2 acts with multiple scenes.
•Terminology:
- narrator, scene, act, climax,
exposition, blackout, rising
action, etc.
•Formulas:
- Plot diagram: Exposition,
rising action,climax, falling
action, resolution.
- Boy gets girl, boy loses girl,
boy gets girl back.
- Act 1 followed by a shorter
Act 2
Students will be able to
• Model well-structured eventsequences.
• Evaluate which parts of a story
are most important.
• Build from an overarching idea
toward smaller story details.
• Infer descriptive details from the
bigger parts of a story.
• Imagine experiences or events
through a narrative lens.
• Be aware of others lives in
comparison to their own.
Performance Task Overview
- A wealthy theatrical director has decided that he wants to produce a young playwrights work to present in front
of President Obama as a reason to why the arts should be kept in schools. Many argue that theater has no place in
schools, but the director believes that theater has many qualities which not only make better students, but better people.
He asks students to create a storyline, map it out, and then write it in a theatrical script format free of spelling and
grammatical errors. The main character of the story must be very different from the student themselves so that they
learn to understand and empathize with people different from themselves. They will film and edit a video version of the
script (the wealthy director is very busy and has no time to see you in person unless what you have is GOOD!) and also
submit the written play.
Expectations
Absences: An absence here and there is expected, as life is unpredictable and sometimes extenuating circumstances (illness, family emergency, etc.) mean you cannot come to school. If you miss a day of school, the homework that was due on the day you missed will be turned in the day you return. The homework that was assigned the day you were not here must be turned-in within a week of the absence. On the day you return please talk to me before or after class and I will give you whatever worksheets you may need and will go over the information you need to complete the work. Be aware that you may need to stay after once or twice in the days following your absence if the work calls for it. If you missed a quiz or test you will take it the day you return. If this is impossible for any reason, you will take it the following class day.Plagiarism: Being able to cite sources properly is an incredibly important skill that not only will be used for your entire school career, but also allows people who have worked hard on something to get credit where credit is due. If a student's piece of writing is found to be lifted from another work in part or whole, they will be required to discuss the issue with me, and we will decide from there what will happen next. If it is simply an error in citation, we will fix it immediately, but if it appears the plagiarism was intentional, disciplinary action will be taken.
Assignments: Assignments will be completed and turned in at the assigned time, unless you have discussed it with me, and I have allowed you extra time. Extra time will be allowed if you couldn't complete homework due to medical, family, or certain personal issues, which didn't allow you to finish the homework or project. This extra time will only be given if you have discussed this with me either beforehand or after the fact.
Classroom Expectations: Students will be expected to come to class prepared with finished homework, the necessary supplies, and ready to learn. Respect must be given at all times, and if it seems that the environment of the classroom has become negative we will work together to fix this through discussion, and whatever else necessary to ensure that my class is a positive environment for all students.
Benchmarks
• Tiki-Toki: Create a tiki-toki to explain well-structured sequences within your story.• Garageband: Interpret which parts of a story are most important by using Garageband to write songs that could be playing during the four most important moments of the show.
• Google Doc: Practice performing different examples of narratives by using Google Docs to write a story through multiple narratives.
• Comic Life: See from the points of view of people who have lived through imagined events of experiences by using "Comic Life" to write the first three scenes in comic form.
• Blog: Learn to empathize with others lives in comparison their you own by writing a blog entry as if it were a diary belonging to the lead character.
• Unedited Youtube Video: Reflect on descriptive details by posting a video on youtube for other students to watch, where you explain the story starting from the largest aspects of it, and then explaining the smaller details. Use some editing to convey a largeness when you talk about the larger aspects, and oppositely for the smaller details.
Grading Scale
A (93 -100), A- (90 - 92), B+ (87 - 89), B (83 - 86), B- (80 - 82), C+(77 - 79), C (73-76), C- (70 - 72), D+(67 - 69), D (63 - 66), D- (60 - 62), F (0 - 59).